By CURTIS MORGAN
Cmorgan@MiamiHerald.com
Image by www.hunttheflats.com
A glimpse of the “preferred’’ future for visitors to Everglades National Park:
• If you want to skipper a motorboat or paddle a kayak, you’d need to take a test first and get a permit. In a third of Florida Bay, you’d need to propel your boat with a push pole or electrical motor only. No sea grass-scarring props would be allowed on shallow flats and banks.
• Crowds could be capped at hot spots like Shark Valley. So call or check that (yet-to-be-developed) Everglades app to see if there’s room for you.
• The last few tourist stops along Tamiami Trail could still be running airboats through the marsh – but only on designated trails in a small slice of marsh.
Those are a few of the big proposals by managers trying to complete the first comprehensive overhaul of park rules and regulations in more than 30 years – a period of massive environmental changes, most not so good, for a 1.5 million-acre park that spans three counties from vast marshes to the fish-rich waters of Florida Bay. Read more here: miamiherald
Mark Your Calendar:
PARK PLAN PUBLIC MEETINGS
Everglades National Park’s general management plan, detailing four draft alternatives, is available for review and comment on line at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER. (Go to “Open for Comment” link).
The park also plans a series of public meetings, all from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m:
March 19 – Homestead, John D. Campbell Agricultural Center.
March 20 – Islamorada, Coral Shores High School.
March 21 – Everglades City, Everglades City School.
April 8 – Dania Beach, International Game Fish Association.
April 9 – Naples, Edison State College, Collier Campus.
April 10 – Key Largo, Murray Nelson Government Center.
April 11 – Miami, Florida International University Stadium Club.
